Funky stuff in tank

[Wrasse Man]

Well, I think I beat the cyanobacter...knock on wood. The RO did the trick!
But now I have a new problem. I have this funk that is growing mainly on my rocks. It is a dark-brown/black 'fuzzy, moldy' looking stuff. I have been turkey bastering it out, and it comes up off the rock in mats. When it is out of the tank it feels sort of scooshie. I moved the powerheads around, and that didn't seem to do anything - in fact it grows just fine with a powerhead outlet 1" away!
I checked our archives, and couldn't find anything that matches this description.
I have also been doing water changes of about 10 gals every other week.

Thanks for your help!

[dark horge]

Sounds like a biofilm of mostly (sorry) cyanobacteria.


horge

[Wrasse Man]

Gaahhh!!!

Of cousre, it makes sense. I don't have any of the red cyano anymore, so now I get a different variety. I have been trying to keep nitrates down and everything, what else can I do?
If bioload is the issue, then I can easily rectify that, and the CC is going away on the 13 of April.

Help!! This stuff is worse than the red I think.

Thanks for the help Horge, you rule!

[Doug1]

Bummer its that da*n ecological niche thing, this is a different variety but the treatment is the same, siphon,siphon, and watch nutrients, soon it will consume whats feeding itm removing CC and replacing it will help, hang in there it will help. Keep in minf cyano in its many forms is an important part of the food web so complete elimination is virtually impossible nor desirable, BALANCE is the key. As excess nutrients are matabolized through increased consumers( either addition or breeding) eventually it will reach a state of equilibrium. Patience is the key, it can take 6 months to get past the worst of it and up to a year or two to really stabilize. A reef ecosystem is an investment in the future. To quote the oft quoted phrase nothing good happens overnight. I wish there was a magic formula that would guarentee instant success but alas such is not to be, there are way too many variables, we can only point out what has worked for us as a guideline, every tank is different